Crossville Getting Huge Press as Part of Expansion

Crossville, TN, March 12, 2009--As part of a major $10.5 million expansion, tile maker Crossville, Inc.is about to take receipt of a new press that is being shipped from Italy, a three-month voyage by sea and river.

The press, which weighs in at 182 metric tons, is being shipped in three parts and is expected to dock at the Nashville port about March 16, where it will be welcomed by Crossville executives, a video crew and photographers, before its final overland haul to Crossville’s manufacturing facility and headquarters in Crossville, Tenn.

“Crossville is in the midst of the most significant expansion project in terms of production capability since its founding three decades ago,” says John E. Smith, president and general manager of Crossville, Inc.

“The SACMI PH7500 will be the largest and only tile press of its kind in the Americas. By June of this year, Crossville will have the technology and equipment that will enable us to offer more sustainable and innovative products than ever before. We will soon be able to produce extra-large tile, 24" x 36", that is double-filled, rectified, modular, honed and certified to have 20% recycled content.

"Included in the expansion is a new R&D facility that will allow us to move forward with design and development concepts more quickly, greatly reducing the time between the idea stage and product introduction. It is an investment that reflects our optimism about the future of the company and the tile industry.”

Crossville, Inc. is privately-held by The Curran Group, based in Crystal Lake, Ill.